A key vote for the bishops

When the Catholic bishops vote for committee chairmen of their
national organization, the balloting is typically a staid and gentlemanly
affair, arousing little interest on the part of anyone except the bishops
themselves — and, truth to tell, perhaps not all of them either.

Not this time.

Meeting in general assembly Nov. 13-14 in Baltimore, the bishops
will choose new chairmen of several committees, including their committee on
Pro-Life Activities. As always, the process will be staid and gentlemanly. But
a lot of people will be watching the outcome with intense interest.

The bishops for years have chosen a cardinal to head the pro-life
committee as a sign of the importance of the abortion issue on the agenda of the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The current chairman is Cardinal Timothy
Dolan of New York.

The nominees for the position now are Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of
Chicago and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas. And the
difference between them is such that in choosing between them the bishops unavoidably
will be making a statement.

It would be not just simplistic but false to suggest or imply
that either man is less than opposed to abortion. Cardinal Cupich has often
condemned what he calls “the violence of abortion.” Archbishop Naumann refers
to it as “killing an innocent human being.”

But there are notable differences of style between the two.

During last year’s presidential campaign, Archbishop Naumann
called Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, a “cafeteria Catholic” who supports the church’s social welfare agenda while
backing his party’s pro-choice stand. He urged voters to “be wary of candidates
who…take upon themselves the role of defining what Catholics believe or should
believe.”

This September, by contrast, Cardinal Cupich took a different
tack after Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, signed a bill expanding
tax-funded abortion despite having promised to veto it. The cardinal called it
a “disappointing day” but said he would continue to try to work with Rauner on
issues. “I’ve never felt a good tactic is to close the door on discussion,” he
told the Chicago Tribune.

Bishops’ elections do not involve politicking or attack ads, but
this is not to say the bishops don’t discuss candidates privately. In the
present instance, they know at least as well as anybody else that Cardinal
Cupich was Pope Francis’ hand-picked choice to head the archdiocese of Chicago.

By coincidence, the bishops’ vote comes two weeks after
theologian Father Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M. Cap., resigned as a consultant to the
USCCB doctrine committee after making public a letter to Pope Francis saying
the pope was causing “confusion” in the Church. In a statement following the
resignation, USCCB president Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo said the bishops
“always stand in strong unity with and loyalty to the Holy Father.”

The bishops also are aware that Cardinal Cupich is an
enthusiastic supporter of the “consistent ethic of life” identified with the
late Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago, which links abortion to other
life-related issues like capital punishment, social justice and peace. Cardinal
Cupich wrote last May:

“Some unfairly charged that his approach ended up making all life
issues morally equivalent. Others suggested that the consistent ethic of life
diminishes a commitment to resist abortion. He disagreed, and so do I. A full
and consistent commitment to human life and dignity and to solidarity will
enhance, not diminish, our defense of children and women victimized by the
violence of abortion.”